


Scars the World Can't See

by heffalumps



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Brotp, F/M, Post-Break Up, Post-Kaidan Alenko/Shepard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 12:45:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14189247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heffalumps/pseuds/heffalumps
Summary: Garrus can see right through Shepard's feigned toughness. It's a coping mechanism, and it hasn't been a problem - until it starts to look like she'll never be happy unless she drops the act. What kind of friend wouldn't do something about that?





	Scars the World Can't See

**Author's Note:**

> You guys wanted more Morgan. I had inspiration for a small drabble - so here it is. 
> 
> AKA: I was playing ME2 and her renegade eyes got a little bit too hardcore, so I had to think of a way to justify her dropping that 50k platinum to fix it without being incredibly out-of-character. Here it is!

It was a ritual that had begun when she was only six years old: Shepard always, _always_ cleaned her guns before going to sleep. It went without saying that no one interrupted her during her routine. It was time for her, and her alone.

And so she was surprised when, after she’d finally stowed her last pistol in its rightful place, she turned around to see Garrus standing in the doorway.

“Have you taken to lurking in corners now, Garrus?” she asked. Her voice sounded curiously monotone, even to her own ears, but Garrus didn’t seem perturbed by it.

Instead, he merely shrugged. “No. I wanted a word in private. I just thought it’d be better to wait until you weren’t holding a gun.” He chuckled, but the sound was without any true mirth.

“I take it that I’m not going to like what you’re here to talk to me about.”

“Probably not, no. But it needs to be said anyway.” Garrus gestured toward the small bench by the window. “I’ve been standing all day. Can we sit?”

Shepard shrugged, but did as he asked, taking a seat beside him before looking up to meet his eye again. “Alright, I’m interested,” she said, though she still sounded anything but. “What’s going on?”

Garrus coughed, running a hand across his face, apparently suddenly ill at ease.

“Spit it out, Garrus. You didn’t come here just to look at me.”

“Of course not - have you seen what you look like these days?" He made a noise somewhere between a scoff and a chuckle. "Fine, I guess I'll just say it. You know that ceremony we have to attend? A… contact of mine has just told me that Kaidan’s going to be there.”

There was a beat of silence - and then another, and another. Finally, Shepard shrugged. “And I care about this because…?”

But it was too late to feign disinterest. Garrus had already seen the flicker of emotion run across her face.

“Please,” he scoffed. “Everyone else might be buying into this act of yours, but I’m not falling for it.”

“What act?” She asked, crossing her arms almost petulantly. “Whatever there was between Alenko and me… well, it’s not there anymore. If it ever existed at all. He was pretty damn clear about that.”

“You know I don’t agree with you on that one.”

“I know. And you know that I think you’re full of shit. You weren’t even there.”

“True. I wasn’t. But I know him, and, more importantly, I know _you_. The real you, not whatever this” - he gestured at her entire body before continuing - “is. And that’s why I’m here. You need to let Mordin fix…” He paused, raking his gaze across the glowing red scars on her face meaningfully. “... that.”

This time, it was Shepard who scoffed. “And why would I do that? We have a hell of a lot of demands on our resources. My vanity is the least of my worries - and it should be the least of yours as well, if you had any sense. Which I thought you did.”

They stared each other down for another long moment, until Garrus finally lifted up his hands in exasperation and sighed heavily. “Fine.” He got up to go, but apparently just couldn’t resist turning around in the doorway to get the final say: “I don’t think you’re too far gone yet. I think there’s still something in you that cares about this. Or about him, or whatever it is you’re pretending not to care about. I just don’t think he’ll give you a chance to show him that part if he sees you looking like that.”

“Why are you doing this for him?” She hated herself for the way her voice cracked.

“I’m not doing this for him. I’m doing this for you, _Morgan_.”

She flinched. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew exactly who had been the last person to call her by her given name. And with those final words, he left her there, sitting alone on the window bench and staring out at the stars.

“Damn it,” she finally muttered under her breath.

Two days later, she walked onto the deck and the whole crew immediately fell silent. Trying hard not to pay any attention to their stares, Shepard walked to her usual spot. Her eyes - no longer glowing red - caught Garrus’s, and he nodded in acknowledgement.

The conversation they had had was never spoken of again. He knew better than to say anything.


End file.
